Crawley

Crawley's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and ethnicity.

The population passed 100,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Crawley increased by 6.9%, from about 99,700 to 107,000.

The addition of almost 6,900 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Crawley was home to, on average, 17 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Average age stable in Crawley

Latest census data also show that the median age of Crawley remained 35 years in the decade to 2011.

This suburban area had a lower average age than the South East and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 1,800 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just under 1,000.

About 15% of people in Crawley are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Crawley residents that were unemployed increased from 2.3% to 4.5% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 6 in 10 (62%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 63% in 2001. The percentage of Crawley residents that were self-employed increased from 6.3% to 7.8%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South East. The improvement brought health in Crawley close to the national average 4.4% in England described their health as good in 2011).

The rate of unemployment in Crawley increased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Crawley, the South East and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Crawley

The percentage of Crawley residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 91% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 2.6%, while the percentage of Crawley residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 6.3% to 6.0%.

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 91% in 2001 to 90% in 2011). Across England, the percentage remained close to 90%.

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Crawley

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, 28% said they had no religion. An increase from 18% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing religious group in Crawley.

Across the South East, the percentage of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from 18% to 30%, while across England the percentage went from 16% to 27%.

Around 58% of those who disclosed their religion in Crawley said they were Christian, down from 72% in 2001. About 7.7% said they were Muslim, up from 4.8% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who described themselves as Sikh rose from 0.7% to 0.7% between the last two censuses.

In Crawley, 6.8% chose not to disclose their religious affiliation. In South East the percentage was 7.9% and across England the percentage was 7.7%.

The population without a religion in Crawley increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Crawley at a faster rate than in Reigate and Banstead (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Crawley).

In Crawley, the proportion of private renting increased from 6.1% in 2001 to 15% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Reigate and Banstead increased from 7.5% to 13%.

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Crawley increased from 23% to 24%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 68% to 59%.

Private renting in Crawley increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Crawley, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Crawley

In 2011, 80% of the local population said they were from the White ethnic groups. An increase from 89% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing ethnic group in Crawley.

Across the South East, the percentage of residents from the White ethnic groups fell from 95% to 91%, while across England the percentage went from 91% to 85%.

Around 13% of people in Crawley said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from 8.6% in 2001. About 3.3% said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from 1.1% 10 years prior.

The percentage of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) rose from 1.4% to 2.9% between the last two censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Crawley decreased by 8.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell here at a faster rate than in nearby Reigate and Banstead.

In Crawley, the proportion of married people decreased from 52% in 2001 to 47% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Reigate and Banstead decreased from 54% to 52%.

Across the South East, the share of married people decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Crawley increased from 30% to 35%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Crawley working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 12% to 8.6% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.6%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Crawley decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Crawley, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Crawley residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.2% to 4.4% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (84%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Crawley residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Crawley decreased by 2.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Crawley, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

The percentage of households in Crawley without children decreased from 59% to 57% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under one in three (33%) households had at least one dependent child, compared with 32% in 2001. The percentage of households in Crawley with only adult children living with their parents increased from 9.5% to 9.9%.

The proportion of households without children fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (which remained close to 62%). Across England, the percentage remained close to 61%.

The proportion of households without children was lower than across the South East

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

More people living alone

The percentage of one-person households increased in Crawley, while falling in nearby Reigate and Banstead.

In Crawley, the proportion went up from 27% in 2001 to 28% in 2011, while across England it fell from 29% to 27%. During the same period, the regional proportion remained close to 29%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Crawley increased from 9.3% to 10%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 37% to 34%.

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across the South East

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Crawley residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 0.9% to 1.3% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.7%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 0.8% in 2001 to 1.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Crawley remained close to 1.3%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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